Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Announces ‘Orange is the New Black’ Actor Brad William Henke in the 36th Annual Pride Parade

Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride is proud to  announce their partnership with Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to bring actor Brad William Henke to the 36th Annual Long Beach Pride Parade.

The parade will be held on Sunday, May 19, with a 9:30 a.m. Pre-Parade Show at the Parade Grandstand located on Ocean Blvd between Cherry Avenue and Junipero Avenue. The parade step off is at 10:30 a.m. on Ocean Blvd. at Lindero Avenue.

Brad William Henke is best known in the LGBT+ community for his role as the hunky bear prison guard Desi Piscatella on Orange Is The New Black, for which he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2016.

The gay corrections officer at Litchfield Federal Penitentiary is actually a big supporter of the LGBT+ community and is excited to be in this year’s parade to support the Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

“Since playing Piscatella on Orange is the New Black, I have been embraced by so many talented, sweet, and hardworking people from the LGBTQ+ community and I have heard their heart wrenching experiences of inequality”, said Henke.

“I am riding in the parade with the Long Beach Gay and Lesbian Chamber because last month they helped Long Beach become the first city in California to recognize LGBTQ+ certified businesses”, continued Henke.

The Long Beach Annual parade attracts over 42,000 people on the scenic Ocean Boulevard to view the array of performers and entries that support LGBT+ Equality. For more information, log onto www.longbeachpride.com.